Revision as of 17:36, March 29, 2012

Contents

News and Recent Developments

July 2010: Solar Cookers for Africa: Solar Caravan 2010 - SunFire is a NGO in South Africa that has partnered with Solar Cookers for Africa to create the Caravan as a way to reach the portions of the population that live in areas typically difficult to reach. It will be a convoy of knowledge, experience, and partnerships in the area of sustainable household and community technologies and practices. The Caravan will start in Mozambique, to eventually cover most of Southern Africa. Far from relying in the knowledge and resources of a few, the Caravan will link experts, product suppliers, communities and funders. Starting in August 2010, a core team of 4 people from 3 countries will start traveling from Johannesburg, South Africa, towards Beira, Mozambique. In each community the Caravan visits, its members will be presented with a flexible curriculum of applied introductory workshops and demonstrations about the core topics and technologies. One fixed workshop module concerns clean energy; another food security, waste management and nutrition. To learn more, see how your experience may be of value, and offer to financial support see: Solar Cookers for Africa: Solar Caravan 2010

Dear Readers,

Its with great pleasure we announce the long awaited African Solar Cookers
website and the first official newsletter.

In 2006 Crosby Menzies flew to Grenada Spain with the specific purpose of
formalising the Continental network of Solar Cooker experts and projects
(managed or supported from either inside/outside Africa) into a well
presented movement gaining the benefits of a movement rather than seemingly
isolated projects across throughout Africa.

The benefits of having all African Solar Cooker projects together on one
website include:

Assist each project to gain material, financial and moral support

Convince NGO, Governments and International Donors that African Solar Cooker Project leaders are a real movement representing a serious technology

Solar Cooker Project leaders in Africa will be better able to support each other by having an easy way to see - who, what, where, when how and why other projects exist- this alone will give Solar Cooker project leaders/supporters/participants etc a better chance to strengthen each others efforts.

The first phase is to collect as much detail on as many projects throughout Africa as possible.

Please send us a simple word document or email with answers to the 6 basic questions included below:

Who is running the project (organisations and individuals - we are happy to put up links) - who are you you trying to help?

Where www.solarcookersforafrica.com home page is a map of Africa - we need your help to fill in the blank spaces.

What is going on /what are your next immediate needs?

How are you trying to run your project/help people - how do you do what you do?

When does the project run until - does your project have a clearly defined goal/end or is it ongoing?

Why do you do what you do?

www.solarcookersforafrica.com has been created to:

Be a more regionally focused Solar Cooker organisation focused on Africa and its unique problems/solutions.

Give each other a better idea of what techniques/strategies work and which don't.

Communicate with each other about what designs are available and which introduction methods work.

An umbrella to highlight ALL African Solar Cooker projects to demonstrate we are a Continental movement and not a passing fashion.

Act as a vehicle to support and crystallize all our Hopes and Dreams.

Give the global audience a chance to be aware of and potentially support Solar Cooker initiatives across the Continent.

Help to establish beyond doubt that Solar Cookers are a movement in order to gain Governments/NGO's/Private initiative support.

This is your website - if you are on this list you have in some way indicated you are interested in Solar Cookers with a particular focus on Africa.

http://www.solarcookersforafrica.com is here to host your stories, its ability to succeed is directly related to the quality and amount of information you send and the amount of decision makers you tell about this site - so please help spread the word.

There may be other people and projects throughout Africa that are currently not on the Solar Cookers For Africa data base - please send through details of anyone you know of who is working with Solar Cookers/fuel efficient stoves in Africa.

Solar Cookers For Africa is a registered Non profit organisation, so far everything has been set up by a small team of dedicated people in Johannesburg working for no pay however this will change in the near future as the organisation comes to life and becomes self sustaining. Donations will fund the ongoing running costs of a small office based in Johannesburg South Africa and be expanded to include regional offices as soon as funds allow, up until now there has been no funding.

Phase 2 (once we have a comprehensive map of activities in Africa) will deal with fund raising and will even include a donate now option so that site visitors are able to support projects of their choice through the website.

Phase 2 begins in January 2009, please help us by sending in your stories even if you dont need funding, your inclusion in this project will help to paint a picture of where Solar Cooker technologies stand in Africa at this moment.